Normandy

Normandy is a region of northern France, corresponding to the medieval Duchy of Normandy. The name comes from the word "northmen", referring to the Danish Vikings that settled the region under Rollo at the behest of Charles the Simple in the 10th century. The region is home to a unique culture, with the Normans having their own language and history; Normandy was ruled by the Kingdom of England and vice versa from 1066 to 1204, when King Philip I of France seized the region from King John of England in a fierce military campaign. In 1559, the English-held port of Calais fell, ending England's presency in Normandy, and the region remains a part of France; the region was famous as a major battleground of World War II in the autumn of 1944, seeing D-Day and the breakout campaign from Normandy. In 2013, the region had a population of 3,322,757 people.